Skirt-supporter



(No Model.)

G. 'v. SMITH. SKIRT SUPPQRTBR.

Patented Aug. 9, 1892.

INVENTOH W/TNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGIA V. SMITH, OF PRINCETON, ILLINOIS.

SKIRT-SUPPORTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 480,523, dated August9, 1892.

Application filed April 13, 1892. Serial No. 429,044. (No specimens.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGIA V. SMITH, of Princeton, in the county ofBureau and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Skirt Supporters or Lifters, of which the following is a full,clear,and exact description.

This invention relates to adjustable skirt supporters or lifters forladies dresses to protect the skirt or dress from mud,dust, and roughplaces on sidewalks andstreet-crossings and from contact with otherdamaging or objectionable exposnressuch, for instance, as dew onthegrass when walking in the garden or on the lawnand so that on rainydays a ladys hands are free to carry an umbrella and not engaged inholding up her skirt. Rings with strings and hooks or tapes have beenused for this purpose, including metal or other like bands sufficientlyrigid vertically to sustain the weight it is required to lift and which,provided with suspension safety-pins for attachment to the skirt, ispassed around the body beneath the skirt and is tilted or manipulated toraise or lower the skirt, as required; but all of these are more or lessobjectionable and essentially differ from my skirt supporter or lifter,which is in the form of an elastic band provided with suitablefastenings and adapted to be applied to the exterior of the skirt andbasque, and which by reason of its elasticity will not permanentlycrumple or crease the skirt and may be adjusted or removed by the wearerwhile on the street, substantially as hereinafter described, and moreparticularly pointed out in the claim.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in both the figures.

Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a skirt supporter or lifterembodying my invention and as applied to the figure of a lady, shownonly in part; and Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the skirt supporter orlifter detached.

A is a band made of a strip of rubber or like elastic webbing andprovided with a lever-like spring-clasp B or other suitable fastening atits one end adapted to engage with the other end portion of the bandwhen the latter is applied to the person, also with a cord 0, fastenedto the clasp, the use of which will be hereinafter explained. This bandA may be applied to the figure or person either as shown by full linesin Fig. 1 or otherwise. Thus it may be worn at the point of the ladysbasque in the back'and fastened with the clasp or buckle at the point ofthe Waist in front and then the upper rear portion of the skirt betucked under and over the band, as shown by full lines in Fig. 1; or ifa very long and trailing skirt is worn the band may be placed below thehips, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, and the dress drawn over itgracefully, giving it the appearance of a double skirt. The cord 0 maybe used, if desired, to assist in holding the band in place, said cordbeing hitched to or drawn over a button on the dress-waist. In somecases the ends of the band may be caught by any suitable fastenings tothe back of an ordinary waist-belt to adapt it to lift the trail only ofthe dress. The elastic band may, in fact, be adjusted as required andthe skirt lifted to the desired length. In each instance the elasticityof the band will support the skirt and prevent the skirt slipping away,and the band being made of elastic webbing there will be no runipling 0rcreasing of the skirt. It being light and portable, too, a lady mayconveniently carry it in her hand or pack it on the wearer, asspecified.

GEORGIA V. SMITH.

Witnesses:

LOUISA MILES BRYANT, BERTHA M. FORBES.

